Excitement around footwear persists as the category emerges as a bright spot in fashion.
That was the sentiment from brands and buyers at FFANY Market Week, which wrapped today in New York.
“Between people being back in the office and going to events, and things feeling a little bit brighter, people are excited to wear new shoes that are comfortable and stylish,” said Sandi Mines, president of FFANY. “On the active side, people are outside more, so the technical running sneakers and the mix of trail and running with the Salomons and the Merrells and those kind of sneakers are really hitting a high point.”
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The men’s category is also showing notable momentum.
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Taft, for example, is prepping for a brand refresh in July, and the brand was presenting collections at KNS International’s showroom. Made in limited batches in a boutique factory in Italy, the brand is heavy on patterns, material exploration and unique details. The “ghost floral” styles, for example, feature embossed leather with hand-brushed paint for a distressed effect.
Taft’s western-inspired collection and the brand Western Chief, which has been around for 135 years and presented at the FFANY pop-up, speak to the continued significance of western.
Other men’s highlights came from longtime shoe designer Javier Suarez. After developing men’s footwear Paul Stuart and helping launch the Stuart Weitzman men’s line, Suarez is stepping out on his own for the first time with his eponymous collection.
“Our pre-spring launch collection centers on loafers, and we’re particularly proud of the sacchetto construction we’re working with,” Suarez, who started the label with his son Alex, told FN. “The sacchetto technique mirrors the process used to make ballet slippers, allowing the leather upper to wrap around the foot like a glove. The result is a shoe that feels broken in from the very first wear. As we move into spring, we round out the collection with more summer-forward offerings: espadrilles, sandals, and potentially a sneaker.”
The debut comes at a good time for Suarez, who noted that he’s seeing a “major shift” that is bringing the consumer back to the marketplace. “Sneakers dominated the zeitgeist for the better part of a decade, but that’s starting to feel tired and ubiquitous,” he said. “We’ve come full circle. A fine penny loafer is once again a clear signal that a man is ahead of the trend.”
John Florsheim, president at Weyco Group, Inc., agrees that there’s a shift in the men’s market. “The return-to-office trend continues to be a meaningful driver for our category,” Florsheim said. “As more companies increase in-office expectations, we’re seeing consumers invest in more polished wardrobes and footwear that reflects those environments. Whether it’s for the office, meetings, business travel, or social occasions, people are dressing up more than they were a few years ago.”
As for what’s new at Florsheim, the executive added that the company is “investing heavily” in comfort. That includes expanding it’s hybrid shoe offerings, enhancing work-oriented casual styles, and continuing to bring new comfort technologies into modern dress collections.
“For spring 2027, we’re focused on relaxed casual footwear with elevated materials, refined details, and the easy comfort consumers want during the warmer months,” Florsheim said. “We’re continuing to build on the momentum of nautical-inspired styling, which remains an important trend and aligns naturally with our heritage aesthetic. Our Palisades collection best embodies this trend.”
At Gola, low-profile silhouettes are adding newness to the brand’s offering this season. “The rise of low-profile trainers, sneakerinas and Mary Jane-inspired styles is encouraging consumers to explore new looks and update their footwear collections with lighter, more versatile options,” Steven Weinreb, president of Gola USA, explained. “We pursue our low profile looks through silhouettes such as Amera and there’s an introduction of trail influenced looks with the Trakstar franchise which have been extremely well received.”
What’s more, Weinreb added that Gola is drawing on its rich British sporting heritage for spring 2027 to reinterpret contemporary trainers through court-inspired lens. “Blending classic racquet sport influences with modern athletic styling, the collection balances heritage authenticity with progressive design, featuring clean lines, streamlined proportions and elevated detailing,” he said.
Staying in the athletic sneaker world, Merrell is set to release the third iteration of its Moab Speed hiking franchise for spring 2027. Noreen Naroo-Pucci, global chief product officer at Merrell, told FN that the latest version is “built lighter, more refined, and designed for all-day movement.”
Naroo-Pucci noted that Merrell will also debut a new recovery model designed around relief after long days and hard efforts at the Switchback tradeshow later this month. “The recovery space is crowded with comfort claims, so we focused on real function and, for the first time at Merrell, we are introducing a technology that makes hot and cold therapy made simple at home,” the executive said. “Switchback features a drop-in footbed that can be heated or cooled, so consumers can customize how they reset in the moment. It is an easy way to rest smarter, so you can get back outside feeling ready.”
When it comes to incorporating AI into their work, shoe companies have had varied responses to the fast-moving tech shift.
Dana Kittaneh, brand manager at KNS International’s Birdies was quick to point toward the human expertise of the designer behind the women’s brand’s styles. “[She] has been in the footwear business for 30-plus years, she knows her stuff, and she is looking at what’s trending and what’s out there, and listening to the customer, and AI has nothing to do with that. It has nothing to do with our designs, with how we market, it has nothing to do with who we are as a brand. We love the human authenticity, that’s something that we believe in. I think people make footwear, and we should keep it that way.”
For Debbi Kravetz, wholesale manager for the U.S. and Canada at Camper, AI is a tool that’s helped her work more efficiently.
“I have agents that go out and sell the product, so for me AI is incredibly useful if there’s a territory that I want to go after, but I’m not familiar with the town or the city, and so I can go to AI and say, tell me where the best boutiques are in this particular area with price points between x and x, and they’ll give you a whole list of retailers that I can go and prospect. That, if I didn’t have AI, could have taken me weeks to do, and this is just a push of the button.”
Betzábe González, founder of women’s luxury brand Betzábe, told FN on the topic of AI, “I think it takes time to really understand how it can help for the future. It’s important to research, and it’s what’s next, but it’s just understanding how it works within the brand, not losing authenticity or anything.”
Italian-made Arteana set up shop at the Peter Marcus Group showroom. Founded just a six years ago by creative director Veselina Chebanova, Arteana is best known for its signature Trieste crochet lace styles.
“The story of Trieste is particularly meaningful to me,” Chebanova said. “The lace is inspired by the rich lace-making tradition of Burano, the small island near Venice known for its extraordinary craftsmanship. Lace has been part of Arteana’s DNA since our very first collection in 2020, and it continues to be one of the elements that best reflects our connection to Italian artisanal heritage.”
This season, the brand is introducing Trieste in butter yellow and sky blue. “We are also introducing the Marcella group, available in both mesh and soft nappa leather,” Chebanova added. “These styles bring a sense of lightness to the collection while maintaining the artisanal details that define our brand.”
Perhaps the most playful addition is the Peonia sandal, available in polka dots and antique rose satin, finished with an oversized handmade pompon flower. “Each flower is crafted entirely by hand and requires remarkable skill from our artisans,” Chebanova explained. “These styles celebrate joy, femininity, and the idea that fashion should sometimes simply make us smile.”
At the Footwear Show New York Expo (FSNYE) at the Park Lane New York, president Phyllis Rein noted that she was celebrating a “highly successful show.”
She said some of the retailer shopping the show were buyers from Famous Footwear, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Belk, Burlington, Amazon, Free People, Von Maur, Ross, Zappos, TJX, Madewell, K & G Stores and QVC Japan.
“Retailers gravitated to styles that balanced soft construction, versatility, and quiet luxury,” Rein said noting that loafers, flats, and sandals “with clean lines and premium finishes were prominent styles that were in high demand.”
Among the vendors was World Plus, showing for the first time. The company is a factory firm that makes shoes for brands, with a primary focus on wider-width feet.
Fendy Xu, the firm’s product technician, said that even the B last used in its shoes are wider than the standard B last used by most brands. The factory had over 150 samples on display to showcase the wide breadth of what it can produce for brands and retailers’ private label lines. One sample was a women’s high-heeled shoe in beige, $25 wholesale that retails for between $100 to $120. The shoe is all-leather, including the insole and its lining.
“This season, what’s on-trend include the pointy toe and the mule. The key color is white, with a focus more on ivory and off-white,” she said.
James Moore, design director at IBaby International Ltd.’s Howard Shawn brand, showcased caramels and browns as the hot shades for fall ’27, particularly in suede. Also making a big splash were the cheetah and leopard prints. The brand uses both short and longer-haired suede options, which are from a tannery called Dada that’s based in Pakistan.
NeroGiardini, Stephanie Peña, head of sales for the U.S. market, said the brand, which has its roots in men’s shoes, just launched its men’s line in the U.S. with Nordstrom as its exclusive partner. The women’s shoe line has been sold in the U.S. for the past five years.
“The sneaker ballerina and novelty has been strong,” she said, noting more interest in novelty and embellishments from buyers. “The sneaker business is still good, but there’s more interest now in dress shoes.” As for heel heights, Peña said: “High heels has not moved the needle in the U.S.”
For men’s, the Italian brand is showcasing sneakers featuring a side zipper, loafers, drivers’ moccasins, and the casual Oxford look. The shoes wholesale at $100 to $125, with the price point in the $300 range. The shoes feature leather uppers, linings and sock linings.
Marty Rose, the agent and U.S. distributor for All Black, said more buyers are showing interest in its “split-toe shoe,” which it has been showing for two seasons now. It also has shoes featuring block heels that appears more sculptural than the standard straight up-and-down look. “Mary Janes are still doing well,” Rose said.
And at LB Evans, traditionally a men’s slipper brand, the company is taking its comfort focus and creating a women’s line for 2027, although an edited women’s line is expected to become available for the holiday selling season, according to Heidi Speranza, head of U.S. brand development. What’s interesting in the women’s line is its use of rubber soles to allow a slipper-style or mule normally worn inside to be worn outside as well. Wholesale prices range from $50 to $60, with retail prices suggested at between $120 to $160.